In the past, various steam iron arrangements have been provided with a steam generating feature in which steam is fed to a base plate for moistening clothes to be ironed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,340 issued to Evans Jr. et al teaches a plastic electrolytic steam iron which includes a plate with steam distributing means and a casing or housing of electrically non-conducting material which forms the walls of an internal water tank positioned over the base plate. Although the Evans arrangement includes relatively few parts, the arrangement still requires several parts for forming the vaporization water tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,755 to Bain Jr. et al teaches a light-weight steam pressing iron which is also made, to a great extent, of plastic. Although a great deal of the main housing is formed of a single structure, the arrangement requires several different components to form various elements including several units to form the U-shaped reservoir 58. (German application No. 265 0837 teaches an arrangement which employs a housing with various housing parts defining the necessary valve seats and valve actuators.)